Conservatives' #BarbaricCulturalPractices pledge stirs reaction

Tweets call attention to missing and murdered indigenous women and 'muzzling' of scientists

Image | Murdered Missing Women 20150227

Caption: Minister of Status of Women Kellie Leitch stands at a separate press conference following the National Roundtable for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Ottawa on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)

The Conservatives on Friday pledged to establish a tip line for reporting "barbaric cultural practices" to the RCMP, bringing a good deal of reaction on Twitter under a hashtag coined by Kellie Leitch.
Leitch and fellow Conservative candidate Chris Alexander said a re-elected Conservative government would establish the tip line and would increase funds to help international organizations stop forced marriages of young girls.
"The Conservative government is not afraid to defend Canadian values," Leitch said at a press conference in Ajax, Ont. "By contrast, (Liberal Leader) Justin Trudeau and (NDP Leader) Tom Mulcair are more worried about political correctness than tackling these difficult issues that impact women."
Leitch, the Conservative candidate for Simcoe-Grey and the labour minister and minister for the status of women in the Harper government, tweeted ahead of the announcement with the hashtag #BarbaricCulturalPractices.

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Some on Twitter used Leitch's hashtag to condemn the announcement.

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Others brought attention to missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada.

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Some also raised what has been called the "muzzling" of Canadian scientists.

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Leitch's colleague Jason Kenney drew attention to the specific practices targetted by the legislation.

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A few used sardonic humour to express their opinion of the move.

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Which drew an ironic observation from one conservative commentator.

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